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Aaron Hernandez jerseys selling fast after murder charges

By CAROLINE LEE, UPI.com
Then New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez falls on the turf. Hernandez was dropped from the team after being charged with first-degree murder. His jerseys are selling for high prices on eBay. UPI/Matthew Healey
Then New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez falls on the turf. Hernandez was dropped from the team after being charged with first-degree murder. His jerseys are selling for high prices on eBay. UPI/Matthew Healey | License Photo

Owners of Aaron Hernandez jerseys have started to sell them on eBay to get rid of them. The items have now become collectible and sell for more than twice their starting bids.

Official Nike jerseys went for $100 online and have, in many cases, sold for far more than that.

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Hernandez was a tight end for the New England patriots until last week, when he was charged with the first-degree murder of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd.

Police have tied Hernandez to a 2012 double-murder in Boston, and suspect that Lloyd might have known about it. They have tentatively used that as Hernandez's motive to kill Lloyd, 27. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The NFL has stopped selling Hernandez's jersey. The Patriots have said they will allow fans to trade in Hernandez jerseys for those of any other player at the team store in Gillette Stadium.

For fans that live outside of Foxborough, Mass., eBay is the next best option.

John Lamothe, a Floridian who started to follow Hernandez while he was in college at the University of Florida, was one of those trying to get rid of the jersey.

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“I thought about giving it to Goodwill,” he said, “but I didn’t think anybody would want it.”

Instead, he put it on eBay. “I thought I might get $15 for it,” he said. On Sunday, the jersey sold for $289. Another listing is up to $280 and has 41 bids. Others have Buy It Now prices upwards of $300.

“I can’t think of any reason why people would want it,” said Lynn L’Heureux, whose $100 Hernandez jersey is up to $127 on eBay.

“They might think it will go up in value later on, and maybe it will, but I’m not interested. I just don’t want it in my possession. I want to use the money to buy a jersey that reflects my pride in the Patriots.”

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